Preppy Nautical Classroom Theme

I adore this classroom theme. Why, do you ask? It’s ALL about the monogram.

I’m a girl that loves a pretty monogram on everything. There is something about a monogram that makes me just plain ole’ giddy! Monograms exude both sophistication and class!

Some of you may remember that I took my son to Charleston last year. My trip to Charleston inspired this new classroom theme. As I walked down the streets, I noticed that store windows were filled with preppy attire, monograms, and lots of stripes and anchors. I may be a midwestern girl, but my heart is in Charleston. I found inspiration everywhere I went in that beautiful city.

I envisioned a classroom filled with monograms ( it could be your own monogram or your student’s initials) combined with classic stripes, anchors, sailboats, whales…throw in some pretty polka dots and a trendy quatrefoil pattern and you’ve created my Charleston inspired preppy paradise!

Behind the Scenes: You would be really surprised to know how long it takes to style a room. Granted, this is a small area, but the amount of hours it takes to make the room “picture perfect” is crazy. I often find myself redoing collections at this phase. As I print out the collection, it’s not unusual for me to change the entire concept, colors, and the pieces in the collection. This is where the collection really comes together. It’s one thing to have a collection in your head, but executing it is another story! This is where you experience the Schoolgirl Style difference. As I put the room together, I am making sure that your collection coordinates perfectly and includes all of the pieces you need to create a beautiful space.

I created this particular collection FOUR times! Each time, I tweaked the colors and the designs. I wanted a “Pottery Barn” feeling, so I limited the patterns and kept it clean with straight lines, bold colors, and solid stripes. Adding classic monograms to several pieces gave this collection a sophisticated look, while the contrast between the navy and white keeps this room looking fresh and clean.

I have so many coordinating classroom decorations that would look fabulous with this theme. The crisp, white lanterns paired with navy poms creates a dramatic contrast. I would definitely consider covering your boards in Rich Blue fadeless bulletin board paper and use white and Nile Green border to frame your boards (all in the Schoolgirl Style Shop). I happen to adore white against navy! White paper also looks great and gives your room a bright, airy feeling.

By the way, did you know that I now carry fadeless bulletin board paper and Bordette in the Schoolgirl Style Shop?

Decorating your classroom has never been so simple…you can now have everything you need shipped right to your front door!

Monograms everywhere!

Whale, sailboat, and anchor prints can be framed, used on binders, or even hung in your classroom with a pretty, coordinating ribbon!

Use banners along windows, whiteboards, or criss-cross them over the center of your classroom to pull your theme together!

Banners were created with letters too! Create as many custom banners as you would like. How about a welcome banner by your door? You can do a name banner on your desk, or use banners on bulletin boards. The possibilities are endless! The great thing about Schoolgirl Style printable decor is that you have an endless supply of classroom decor at your fingertips! You can use each file over and over again!

Covering aluminum cans with monogrammed paper is an easy and inexpensive way to create beautiful supply storage.

It’s all in the DETAILS! Use my new luggage tags with a coordinating ribbon to label your storage containers.

Use my round table/center signs as a way to incorporate a classic monogram into your classroom!

Most of my designs in each collection are editable. Just click in the text box and type away! I can remember being so nervous when I printed a student’s name on a nameplate…I wanted it perfect. Without fail, the pressure of perfection always took over and I would end up with a botched nameplate. No worries with my editable decor…perfect writing every time!

I like to use small tomato paste cans to hold crayons or pencils. Cover them with a coordinating paper and you have a cute storage solution that matches your decor perfectly! You can also put the cans inside a caddy – this will keep your school supplies organized.

I happen to adore Katie King and her blog! I really wanted Katie to give away this particular collection because she happens to live in South Carolina and I live my fantasy Charleston life through her. 🙂 Since I was so inspired by my visit last year, I thought it would only be fitting that she would give my Preppy Nautical collection away to her followers.

If you don’t follow Katie, now’s the time! Also, make sure you follow her on Instagram…she has the BEST posts!

I’M IN LOVE!!! I’ve been looking for something geared towards older kids because I’m possibly going to 4th or 5th grade next year. I LOVE NAUTICAL THINGS!!! This is absolutely perfect!!! If this is only the 2nd theme I know I’m going to have such a hard time deciding! Thank you for all of your beautiful collections!

LOVE this!! Searching for a more gender-neutral scheme for next year. I am in love with navy anyway…so this may be the perfect choice. Somehow, though, I think you are going to make it hard for me to decide!! 😉

Love all of your new designs so far I can’t wait to see the rest.I teach 5th Grade and have been searching for some awesome 5th Grade teacher blogs .Could you recommend some?There are many K,1 and 2 but not very many middle school age .Thanks!

I love, love, love this one!! I currently have your bluebird theme in my room. New principal banned all things hanging from ceiling and 3 D things, no door decorating, sooo, that didn’t leave much. Bought your seaside one on sale and had planned to redo my room this summer, but I love this one more! I live in South Carolina and love the beach. I love the simplicity of the colors. Waiting until all is revealed before buying!

One more thing, I teach kindergarten, and I currently have some Ikea chairs that I recovered in a brown polka dot for the bluebird theme, and also the same fabric for valences and the tops of crate stools and cushion for my rocking chair. What color fabric would you change that to? I will be using white bulletin board paper, just like your design. I was a home Ec teacher, so I can sew just about anything! Those Ikea chairs about did me in, so you know I must love this theme to change them again! I thought navy stripes, or navy with white anchors, navy with white polka dots….only 1 of course.

So I have found next year’s theme! I did nautical this year, but this looks so well put together. My only question is where did you buy the navy polka dot border? I went to Lakeshore today and they didn’t have it, and I must have it! I can’t wait to download this, but want to make sure that I can get every other piece to make it look as good as this! Thank you so much for your beautiful designs!

I purchased it and have ordered my polka dot and the stripe border. Printing the can labels and binder covers and spines this weekend. I am so excited about this!! I swore I would keep my birds until I retired…but this one did me in. What size Avery labels do you use?

I am second year teacher and I did my room in a nautical theme this past year. Looks like I’m going to have to buy this and improve it even more for next year! Love it! I’m so glad you did the traditional navy and red!

Whhyyyy did I have to see this?!?! I have your bird theme in my room now and swore I would keep it forever. I have a 12 year old son that hates cutesy things, so my classroom is my chance to do cutesy all I want and decorating my class is my therapy. IF, I change my theme my question is what could I place on my focal wall, that now is the tree that you had. I love it, but think I would need something else with this theme. Since most of the colors are green and blue I can keep most of my things. I thought about a sail boat to display my spelling and vocab words. What do you think?
Thanks again:) I love, love, love your things:)

I am planning on using your lime green and navy theme in my classroom this fall. It will be my second year of teaching. This past year, I used a color scheme in my classroom (turquoise and yellow) and I tried to coordinate my baskets/crates/bins with the colors. Now that I am planning to use your theme, I don’t know how to coordinate my room using the things that I already have without it clashing with the new theme. I would like to not buy too many new things for my new theme but the things I already have clash will clash with the new colors. Please let me know if you have any suggestions!

I’m so excited that I just bought this set for my classroom! I always tell my students to anchor down and now my room will fit with my moto! It’s also a play on my name (Fisher) and since I have kids that come and go all day, special ed, this will create a calm feeling for them that I’ve dreamed of having in my room! Who isn’t relaxed at the beach?! Thanks!

Hi! I am loving this set. I was able to find lime green and white chevron fabric. I made awesome curtains and computer covers. Not to mention, I have a bathroom in my class…I trimmed a plain white shower curtain with navy and white striped grosgrain ribbon (curtain separates toilet and sink)…oh my word, so cute!

Melanie, I love your work! I’m purchasing the complete Country Fair collection, and I can’t wait to start printing. I do love the luggage tags in the Preppy Nautical though. I’m wondering if the reds and blues are hues that will coordinate? If so, I’ll add them to my basket! Thank you for sharing your beautiful ideas!

I LOVE all things nautical! I have never downloaded classroom décor. Is it hard? What kind of paper would I use? Do you just use a regular printer? Do the colors come out right? Sorry so many questions!!!

I think I have finally decided this is the theme I’m going to go for! I would like to add in pops of the pink into the blue and green; what pieces would you do in pink?

Also, with your new collections I am LOVING the calendar/days of the week pieces, plus the standards chart you had in one of the new collections. Any chances of that being created for this collection? I would be willing to pay a custom price if needed!

Hi Melanie! I started printing things from this collection but unfortunately the green color is not coming out right. I have tried 3 different printers. Would you mind sharing what printer or service you use to get that awesome color? Thanks!